Hey, Buckeyes: Trojans’ Rey stings like you better believe
Every so often one of them comes along, one of the really crazy ones who scare the spit out of you.
Saturday is every so often and Rey Maualuga is the one.
“If I can put fear into the opponent, I feel I’ve done my job. I’ve done my work,” USC’s senior linebacker said. “It feels great.”
For him. For the rest of the world, it puts that feeling in the pit of your stomach that something bad is about to happen. Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter called Maualuga the most feared linebacker in the Pac-10. The scope of that label might spread Saturday night when the No. 1 Trojans play Ohio State in college football’s game of the year.
Call it Cape Fear. The game is all about it. There’s the fear that the loser might be out of the national championship race in September. Certainly the No. 5 Buckeyes can’t afford another embarrassing loss on the national stage. Already pollsters have dropped them from No. 2 after the team won its first two games by a combined 55 points.
sportsline.com
9/11/08
